Accessory for flown kites



Dec. 26, 1950 c. H. SHOEMAKER ACCESSORY FOR FLOWN KITES Filed Sept. 15, 1948 671mm, a: li. JHOCMH KER ZZw/Ja Jwy ,4r roR M: Y

Patented Dec. 26, 1950,

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ACCESSORY FOR FLOWN KITES Charles H. Shoemaker, Glendale, Calif.

Application September 15, 1948, Serial No. 49,392

Claims. (Cl. 244155) vice'of the above character having a flexible resilient wing structure with consequent simplification of construction over devices heretofore used and an incident reduction in cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a kite string traversing device having a flexible and resilient wing structure which upon release will revert into such form that the resistance to wind is reduced whereby the device will be returned-down the kite string by gravity.

A further object of the invention is to provide a kite string traversing device adapted to carry and release objects which is so constructed and arranged that the object carried is first released and then the wing structure is released and permitted to assume its normal form for the return trip. Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character in which the object and wing release means is so designed as to effect-a positive release of the object carried and of the wing structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character having a body member which serves as a guide and housing for the release operating means.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such, other objects and advantages as may hereinafter appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts described in the following specification; reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which: I Fig. 1 is a perspective view of thedevice attached to a kite string with the wing structure locked in its spread or open position and with a parachute attached for subsequent release,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, larger scale, side e1evation of the front and rear ends of the device showing the relation of the component parts at the instant of release of the load and of the retaining means for the wing structure.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the front end and wing structure of the device,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fixed element of the locking and releasing means for the load and wing spreading means,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of one of the wings, showing a means for resiliently reinforcing the wings, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

The illustrated form of the invention comprises a body member I formed of a rectangular piece "or light wood or other suitable material, such as plastic, and having a groove 2 extending from.

end to end along the lower face thereof. The forward upper end of the body member carries the shank 3 of an upstanding pigtail eyelet 4 formed from plastic or other smooth surfaced material into which eyelet the kite string S may be inserted through the opening between the end of the eyelet and the other side of the eyelet loop, and mounted in the forward end of the groove 2 is a tubular guide 5 for the release rod 6 slidably mounted in the groove 2. A strip of adhesive tape I wound about the forward end of the body member over the eyelet shank 3 and the guide 6 serves to hold both firmly secured in place on the body. member I. If desired, the wire 6 can be further retained in the grOOVe 2 by a wire or other wrapping 1' located midway between the front end of the device and the point of attachment of the wing structure.

Mounted on the upper face of the rear end of the body member I is the shank 8 of a second pigtail eyelet 9, also preferably formed of plastic, disposed in longitudinal alignment with the eyelet 3 and adapted to be similarly engaged by the kite string 'S, and mounted on the under face of the rear end of the body member is the stationary portion of the load and. wing release means comprising a pair ofj shallow, inverted U-shaped strips Ill and H, nested one within the other,

forward arms I and II' of which depend, angularly forward and the rear depending of arms I 0" and i I" of which are disposed at right angles to the plane of the under face of the body member A wrapping of adhesive tape I2 serves to secure both the eyelet shank 9 and the strips I0 and i I firmly to the body member I with the arms Ill and I I spaced apart to form a clearance I 3 into which the attached part of the load to be carried maygbeinserted. The back'of the member IE! also covers the rear end of the groove 2 and thus cooperates therewith to form a rear guide for the wire 8. While here shown as separate pieces, the strip elements may be'made a'saa unitary plastic molding and it orthey may be otherwise attached to the body member without departure from the invention. 7, The wing structure comprises a pair of identical wings and a description of one will suffice forboth. The wing I is formed from heavy paper or the lik'e which;prefierably; is treatedto render it waterproof. The shape'of the wing is optional;

the form -illustrated"beingxto somewextentila simulation 0f the outspread wing. ofa bird. The base I5 of the wing is straight and'is secured-by gluingrorother appropriate meanssto a woodenbase member I6. The Wing=-is:ireinforced and given resilience by a resilient: rib'telement com prising a normally substantially straight strip of clock spring- I! disposed onthe.front'face-of the wing and extending from' the base member .1 lengthwise of .the wingitda'pointradjacent .the wing tipt l8.- A strip of adhesive "tape 19 overlying the clock spring and'extending on 'both sides thereof secures theclockspring tothewing surface. Other means of securingithe'soring t'o'thewing will suggest themselves to those. skilled in,

from .the rear-to the frontend of the bodymem ber'with'the spring elements I1,- i'! extending" parallel-to-and. just belowvthe lowerface of the bodymember.-- A brad .2l' extends through-the members I6; 'I 5 "and: the spacing block-Zfland a I second brad 22 unites the-members I 5-; l6 and the bodymemberi. Theends 'of the spring elements I extend -a short distancevbeyond the members I1, -H and -are engaged bya block -23.inserted between-the wing bases andxsecured' against-the under face of thebodymemben-I by a wrapping 24 ofadhesive tape orthe-likewhich serves to secure the'ends of the springs I1, Ilagainst the v sides-of the blockzsand theblockbeing seated against theunderside-of the-body-member -I operates-'toretain .the "wire .6 within thesgroove .2.

Attachedto I the: underside loft each wing M,...

spaced a short .distancefrom the .wing base is.

one-end of a painof cords,' .25, .25, the opposite ends of which are secured to loops or eyes, 25,125,

at opposite ends. of a link which link has a mid-- portion 2.! adapted to engagethe rear face of the depending -.arm H! and the cordsla, 25.. are of.

suchlength that .whenthe link 25 the Wings. !4, extend. substantially at right angles to..the body is thus engaged I i willbe. pulled down and ,will.

member I against the tendencyof the spring elements IT,"I.1 position substantially parallel to the body memto return the wings to a closed her I (as shown in, dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3'.)

Th'e'wire fiatits'front end is bent upwardly'and terminates in a large pigtail eyelet portion 28, adapted to pass around but not engage the kite string S and the rear end of the wire 6 beyond the end of the body member is turned downwardly at 29 and terminates in a forwardly projecting portion 38, which passes through aligned holes 3I in the depending arms I0", Ii, II and ID. The wire 6 is of such length that when it is moved rearwardly until the shank of the eyelet 23 engages the front endfof thebody-member I, the forwardlyprojecting end'portion 30 will be in the holes 3| in the arms I0 and II" only, whereby these holes serve as guides to prevent the *wirerfrom turning and when the wire is moved forward until the portion 29 engages the rearfac'eof-the member I0" the portion 39 will extendthroush: and. beyond the holes 3| in the arms II and H3.

Inuseya 'kite K is first. flown after having a cork C or other stop means attached to the kite string. S somezdistance (115119.11Yi3h0ft') below the kite; rThen the deviceconstituting thepresent invention is mounted T011 the. kite string by workinggtheikite stringsinto-the eyelets -3, 9 and 23m -Whemsozmounted; the device willslide on the eyelets 4 and Shut theeyelet 28 'will' not contact thev string-5;v Then the. wire 6 is moved rearwardly as far as it will go and the linkZl-is placed back' of the-arm. ||"'.,?L1'1d' thenwire moved forward so. f that the end thereof will pass through;.the=hole 3i vinathaarm-riI belowthelink. 21., thus locking the-wings-in a balanced-; spread .position each '1 901: Next the: article-t0. be =carried and released; such as -;-aparachute-.P,-having'an attaching p L is engaged-over-itheeend oftherwire .-in-the;

clearance space 13. and the. wire is movedall the ways forwardrewithi the; end. thereof... passing Uponrethrough"the.- hole 3 1 in the arm I 0!. leasel theiwindi will carry the device; up the kite string until the: eyelet: 28 engages: the stop member C at which-timethe wind pressure. will move e thebodymember 1. up along the'kite string. and thelwire with resultant movementof the-arms. l0

As .soon .as. the. wire..clealrsthespaceJ 3,. the. para-:-

chute or other load will be dropped and as soon as the. wire clears .thememberj I,.the.tension on thehspringsdil, I7 Willi pulllthe link-21. ofi

the. forwardly sloping rear face. ofth'emember .l l'

with resultant release ofthe tension whereupon, the springs I1,I'i will'cause the, wings lfl, M to;

assume a position substantially parallel to the body .member I and the device then will slide, down the string S to the holderafter. which it:

can be reloaded and resetfor another trip.

The flexible wing construction possesses several advantages.v over the rigid hinged wings that characterize prior art. devices for. the same .pur-

pose. First, being resilient, the wings fold.

quickly and automatically upon release. Second, no rigid wing frame and. hinge is required. Third. in the presence of excessive wind, the tips of the wings willi yieldforwardly'as indicated in; dotted lines in Fig.3 and reduce thearea exec. posedto the wind. j Fourth, this'capacity. of the-.. wings to yieldtoexcessive. loads acts .as a shock absorber at the instant of contact with'the stop. means on .the kite string and. thus. protects-the device from. damage,

The novellockingand. release means: also pose. sesses advantages. over theprior art structures;:: First,. the; successive release of .the load. and .then.

the wing structure insures that the load will be use with flown kites comprising an elongated, rigid body member having a longitudinal groove on'one face thereof, aligned kite string receiving eyelets afiixed to each end of the body member,

and arranged to releasably lock said wing ele-- ments in spread position and for releasably securing an article to be carried and released including a wire mounted for reciprocation in said groove and having a stop engaging portion at its forward end, a pair of arms depending vertically from the rear end of said body member, a second pair of arms spaced forwardly from said first named pair and depending angularly forwardly from said body member, aligned openings in all of said arms, a downwardly and thence forwardly projecting portion of said wire slidably engaging said holes; a cord attached to the rear face of each wing element, a link element connecting the other ends of said cords; said link being adapted to be secured against the rear face of said second named pair of arms by the engagement of said wire with the holes in said arms with resultant holding of said wing elements in spread position.

9. A load carrying and releasing accessory for use with flown kites comprising a body member.

having spaced eyelets adapted to be engaged with a kite string, a pair of resilient wings rigidly secured to said body member, means for releasably securing an article to be carried and released to said body member, and means operable upon contact with a stop on the kite string to release the article; said article securing and releasing means comprising a pair of spaced arms depending from said body member having aligned holes adjacent the free ends thereof and an element movable into said holes to secure the ara. ticle' between said arms and movable out of said holes to release the article. A load carrying and releasing accessory for usewith flown kites comprising a body memher having means for being mounted in free sliding engagement on a kite string, a pair of flex-- ible'and resilient Wings rigidly secured to said bodymember and normally disposed in planes substantially parallel to the kite string, means for releasably locking said wings in spread position'and means' operable upon contact with a stop on the kite string to release the wings with incident return of the wings to their normal posi tion by reason of their resilience; said wing locking and releasing means comprising spaced arm elements depending from said body member and having aligned holes adjacent the free ends there of, "a linkelement attached to the rear face of each of said wings and adapted to be inserted between said arm'elements and an element movable into said,holes to lock said link between said arms and movable out of at least one of said holes to release said link.

CHARLES H. SHOEMAKER. 1

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS 6,657 Great Britain of 1914 

